Confirmed Signing with Link: [TOR] F Auston Matthews signs extension with the Maple Leafs (4 years, $13.25M AAV)

[TS Quint]

What other star player has done this exactly?

It's mostly just Lesfs players at the top end of salaries that take the shorter term. It's a culture of selfishness in that organization.

 

[Strangle]

At 31 ?

A lot of people in here seem to think matthews at 31 is going to sign an 8 year $150m contract with the leafs

 

[WickedWrister]

The amount of Dubas blame in this thread is honestly hilarious. Leafs fans, never change

 

[Golden_Jet]

Those are all great players, I’m not even sure how I’d rank them all. But the issue here are people saying matthews is the worst super star in the league and This contract is too much money.

People are saying pasta is better than matthews, people are saying he’s ‘done nothing’ to earn about 15% of the cap. People are saying Matthews is not only a worse player than Mackinnon, but that Mackinnon is closer to Mcdavid than matthews is to Mackinnon.

So if a couple people have matthews ranked 2-3 spots higher than you do on the ‘best players in the league’ list, I’m willing to just split the difference and move on.

The other side of thise coin, the posters absolutely insulting and shitting on matthews, those are the ones who obviously need to be told that matthews has averaged 50+ goals per 82 games over the course of 7 seasons.

Using pace, just means your not available enough, but if it makes you feel better.

 

[Strangle]

I don't understand the shock at the term. It's been speculated for a long time from many insiders that the Matthews extension wouldn't be a long term one. That's a pretty high AAV for that short a term though. Not good news for Oilers/Draisaitl fans.

I think you’re going to see a lot of players and teams opting to go this way.

The wild swings of the cap are going to cause this. If the NHLPA and NHL could add into the CBA that players sign for a percentage of the cap, and not a hard dollar figure, then signing for longer wouldn’t be such a huge disadvantage to the player.

For all matthews knows, the cap could go up to $200m in 6 years. And then Johnny 4th liner is signing for $20m a year, like in the NBA

 

[Golden_Jet]

A lot of people in here seem to think matthews at 31 is going to sign an 8 year $150m contract with the leafs

Guess that’s only you then, since your the only person with that number.

 

[htpwn]

Ovechkin proved it was just a down year. Matthews hasn’t proved that yet.

... which is why I asked "if this was 2017." The point being that even the greatest goal scorer of this generation, perhaps of all-time, had a down year or two.

Interesting question. If you, let's say, look at 2012-2017, Ovechkin was no doubt a top-end player. But he wouldn't be a unanimous "top 3" guy. Lots of people would have had Crosby, Kane, Malkin and maybe even Doughty above him.

And I think the league had less top-end talent then than it does now.

I don't have a problem with people arguing that Matthews is not top 3 or top 5 or whatever -- as you said, there is a lot of elite talent in the NHL right now who are in that discussion.

I would argue, though, that it is a bit of a pointless argument vis à vis his contract. He's absolutely part of that very small elite in the NHL (again, two Richards in the last three years) and a player with a track record like his was absolutely going to get a contract like this.

 

[Strangle]

Guess that’s only you then, since your the only person with that number.

I understand that when you’re not sure what to argue, you take obvious hyperbole and interpret it literally.

But my exaggeration isn’t even that outrageous. I read at least one poster saying matthews will sign for more than $13.25 on his next deal. Which is irrelevant anyways, because it all depends on what the cap is.

But no, there’s more than just that one poster who are implying, if not outright saying, that matthews next contract will be even more of the cap than this one.

And that’s 100% an embarrassing take, and obviously just trolls

 

[CupofOil]

I think you’re going to see a lot of players and teams opting to go this way.

The wild swings of the cap are going to cause this. If the NHLPA and NHL could add into the CBA that players sign for a percentage of the cap, and not a hard dollar figure, then signing for longer wouldn’t be such a huge disadvantage to the player.

For all matthews knows, the cap could go up to $200m in 6 years. And then Johnny 4th liner is signing for $20m a year, like in the NBA

I'm not so sure about that. Just about every other core player over the last few years have been signing 7-8 year contracts.

 

[Golden_Jet]

I think you’re going to see a lot of players and teams opting to go this way.

The wild swings of the cap are going to cause this. If the NHLPA and NHL could add into the CBA that players sign for a percentage of the cap, and not a hard dollar figure, then signing for longer wouldn’t be such a huge disadvantage to the player.

For all matthews knows, the cap could go up to $200m in 6 years. And then Johnny 4th liner is signing for $20m a year, like in the NBA

That would be a terrible idea, for teams.
Most don’t have problems signing the guys they want to 7-8 years

 

[Voight]

All the 'Matthews is 100% going to Arizona' guys are punching air right now.

Don't worry, now the narrative is "hes just waiting for them to finalize an Arena plan and see the fruits of their rebuild develop...."

 

[Ezekial]

Your anecdote rebuttal to that post is here are the three best players of the entire generation who also happened to age well?

Toews and Kane fell off. Kovalchuk fell off. Rick Nash fell off. The number of guys who didn't fall off in their mid 30s is short. Iginla fell off. Stamkos isn't as good as he used to be.

Ovy is basically the only goal scorer in history that hasn't fallen off.

Kane fell off during the deal? He had 45 points in 54 games for the Hawks this year before they traded him and he put up 93 points in 78 games last year. He had 680 points in 604 games during that deal. The Hawks fell off mainly because of all the other shit tier deals Bowman signed, like Seabrook. Not Kane's deal.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Ask and you shall receive.

I mean, that was 18 years ago. And unless my memory is hurting, short contracts for star players was still a thing so that wasn’t that unusual

I’m obviously talking about a comparable in the modern landscape of the NHL. You pointing to a contract signed almost two decades ago isn’t the point you’re tryin to make!

 

[Strangle]

I'm not so sure about that. Just about every other core player over the last few years have been signing 7-8 year contracts.

It will turn out to be a huge disadvantage for players to do that now. Until the cap normalizes, of course.

But if you take 15% of this cap and in 4 years that number would increase by $3-$4m per year …. I mean agents aren’t stupid

15% might be around $12-$13m today, it could be over $15m Tomorrow

 

[I Hart Conor Garland]

Great. What’s he done in the playoffs ?

Do Leafs fans even actually care? They may as well have won the Stanley Cup in 2022 the elation they displayed over Dubas keeping his job and Matthews getting a "It's his turn; We can't give it to McDavid every year" Hart.

 

[FlameChampion]

I think its a lame contract personally. Huge cap at a relatively short term. Least its 4 years I guess.

Gratz to the Leafs who like this deal. Least he’s staying in Canada.

 

[Divine]

I mean, that was 18 years ago. And unless my memory is hurting, short contracts for star players was still a thing so that wasn’t that unusual

I’m obviously talking about a comparable in the modern landscape of the NHL. You pointing to a contract signed almost two decades ago isn’t the point you’re tryin to make!

Keep moving those goalposts. You asked and I answered. Now you're upset that there was an answer so it doesn't count.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Assuming theres even an NHL team in Arizona by then......

I’m not convinced there’s even one there …now.

 

[Ghost of Jody Hull]

I think you’re going to see a lot of players and teams opting to go this way.

The only player who's had, or who's even been rumoured to have, this outlook is Matthews.

Every other star, whether it's McDavid, MacKinnon, Makar, Pastrnak, etc., has opted for a 7 or 8-year deal.

More guys will have to do it before we can call it a trend.

Even in the NBA, it's not all that common. It's been a couple guys – Lebron and Durant. Most stars sign for max dollars and max years when they come up.

 

[King Woodballs]

LOL
Leafs gonna leaf.

I thought Dubas was gone?

 

[I Hart Conor Garland]

Ask and you shall receive.

Is there anyone who would take Matthews over prime Iginla?

 

[Strangle]

The only player who's had, or who's even been rumoured to have, this outlook is Matthews.

Every other star, whether it's McDavid, MacKinnon, Makar, Pastrnak, etc., has opted for a 7 or 8-year deal.

More guys will have to do it before we can call it a trend.

It’s not a trend yet, for sure. But the way matthews is navigating the cap is blazing the trail.

If other players don’t follow suit, I’d be surprised

It can also be argued that these contracts are win/win for team and player. No more huge anchors at 36 years old and taking up more cap than their production would dictate

 

[FlameChampion]

Curious how this effects the nylander negotiations, if at all?

He’s going to want 9.5 now and who can blame him

 

[Voight]

Matthews clearly fought injury issues most of the year . Was obvious from a viewing standpoint . I expect him to be way closer to the 50 /60 goal version than the guy that showed up last season . And that version is without a doubt a top 5 player .

He also had the 2nd lowest shooting % of his career. Much lower than the last 4 seasons.

 

[Ghost of Jody Hull]

It’s not a trend yet, for sure. But the way matthews is navigating the cap is blazing the trail.

If other players don’t follow suit, I’d be surprised

Maybe. But I doubt it. Coming off his ELC, Matthews "blazed" the trail asking for 5 years instead of 8 to get to UFA as soon as possible.

Not many young stars did the same thing.

Even in the NBA it's not common. Most players take max dollars for max years.